Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction for Quantitative Detection of Candidiasis in Critically Ill Patients
10.11714/jsysu.med.YX20250119
- VernacularTitle:微滴式数字聚合酶链式反应在重症患者念珠菌感染中的应用
- Author:
Zhijie HE
1
;
Weichao LI
2
;
Biying WU
2
;
Yaowei ZHI
2
Author Information
1. Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine， Guangzhou Xinhua University， Guangzhou 510520， China
2. Department of Critical Care Medicine， Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital， Sun Yat-sen University， Guangzhou 510000， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Candida;
droplet digital PCR;
clinical diagnosis;
candidiasis;
candidemia
- From:
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences)
2026;47(1):182-188
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic value of droplet digital PCR （ddPCR） for detecting Candida infections in critically ill patients.MethodsA ddPCR assay for Candida detection was established and optimized， including design of primers and probes， optimization of PCR reaction， and validation of analytical specificity and cutoff threshold. Clinical specimens were analyzed by ddPCR and fungal culture in parallel to assess clinical performance and reliability.ResultsThe ddPCR assay demonstrated high analytical specificity for Candida detection. The sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR for detecting Candida in clinical samples were 0.583 （95%CI： 0.433， 0.721） and 0.962 （95%CI： 0.924， 0. 982）. The ddPCR detection results were consistent with the fungal culture results （Kappa=0.604， P<0.05）. The total assay time for ddPCR was approximately 7 hours， substantially shorter than conventional fungal culture.ConclusionThe ddPCR assay provides reliable and rapid detection of Candida in critically ill patients with markedly reduced turnaround time compared with conventional culture. Given its high specificity and operational efficiency， the ddPCR-based method holds significant potential for clinical implementation as a complementary diagnostic tool.
